2024 Youth Olympic Games to see local athletes compete

The Airdrie-based Team Plett curling club will see two of their teammates going to the 2024 South Korean Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in 2024.

Both Chloe Fediuk (second), and Allie Iskiw (lead), who are both from Edmonton but play with Team Plett, are joining several other players and will be representing Team Canada in four-player mixed curling at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in January 2024 in Gangwon, South Korea.

According to Curling Canada's Manager of Youth Curling and NextGen Helen Radford, the selection process was not an easy one due to the high level of athletes who had applied.

"But these four athletes have already amassed so much experience and success at the highest level and are continuing to shape themselves into talented and motivated individuals both on and off the ice,” Radford said in a press release. “I’m excited to begin training with these young athletes and I know they will represent Canada with passion, skill and pride.”

Radford will be the head coach of Canada’s mixed team at Gangwon 2024. She also coached the Canadian curling teams at the Lausanne 2020, Lillehammer 2016 and Innsbruck 2012 editions of the Winter Youth Olympic Games. Canada won mixed team gold in 2016 after a bronze in 2012. 

Both Fediuk and Iskiw, along with their Team Plett teammates had a historic year in the rink. They represented Alberta at the Canada Winter Games where they came home with a silver medal; while at the Canadian U-18 Curling Championships and New Holland Canadian U-21 Junior Curling Championships. Team Plett made history by being the first to earn gold medals at both the U-21 and U-18 championships in the same season. 

Curling Canada stated that positions for the players haven’t been assigned and will be determined following upcoming training camps leading up to the Games.

"Gangwon 2024 will mark the first time that the mixed doubles discipline will have a dedicated competition at the Winter YOG. This means Canada will send two additional curlers to the multi-sport games. At past YOG, after completing the mixed team event, all athletes would be paired with an athlete from a different nation and compete in a single-knockout mixed doubles event," Curling Canada added.

The mixed team competition runs from January 19-25, followed by mixed doubles on January 26 till February 1.

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